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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois (With Aid)

12 Ranked Colleges
203 Degrees Awarded
$22,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Master's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 68,079 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,073 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,543 and $26,465 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 203 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and media studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree communications students with aid.

Top 12 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Illinois (With Aid)

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #0 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 4 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UIS also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Springfield are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UIS Communication & Media Studies Report

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at EIU are $20,761.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Illinois University

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree communications students with aid list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern

#6

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at GSU are $14,674, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at GSU

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 12 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are $9,300, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree communications students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#9

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at NIU are $11,086, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northern Illinois University

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State University are $11,069, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State

#11 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern Illinois University are $17,032.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#12

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul are $19,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at DePaul University

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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